Maboroshi
by Irish Yasha
Summary: Another story I have to put on hold. Sorry y'all.


**Inuyasha in a Pirates of the Caribbean x Young Black Stallion crossover…with maybe a pinch of **_**Twilight**_** thrown in.**

**I've found that I prefer the book-Bella over movie-Bella. She's much more sarcastic XD**

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Kikyo raced through the forest. If she was caught now, this would all be for naught. They had found him. He who was most precious to her, more precious than her younger sister; Onigumo. He was a mere thief who had been wounded in his left eye and she was a priestess in training who had taken pity on him.

But they had found him, and thieves were not looked highly upon in Rahpht. The people of her small village, Forsic, planned to burn him alive. To make matters worse, the Night Phantoms were coming tonight.

_Why now?_ she cried in her head.

She finally broke through to the clearing—but she was too late. The cave Onigumo had resided in was burning to the ground, a pillar of smoke mixing with the darkened sky.

She heard the screams of her village as the Phantoms descended upon them. Then her own scream as a figure cloaked in black rode towards her on a midnight horse.

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The Country of Rahpht was a decent country. The land was peaceful, prosperous, and serene. Landscapes ranged from tree-covered mountains, to sunset-colored deserts. Food was bountiful, water filled every well, lake, and stream. Trade with other countries to the north, south, and west was flourishing. Yes, Rahpht was a decent country to live in.

Yet its people lived in fear. Why, you ask? Because of the Night Phantoms. Every few random years, they rode out from the cover of the stars, seeking brides and grooms. The Phantoms thrived off of their human mates, and the bittersweet blood humans possessed. Humans deemed worthy of keeping were taken into the night sky, never to return again. And the only warning that the Phantoms of Night are coming, is a single, blood-red star.

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Kagome sighed. When she'd asked her grandfather to tell a story for her birthday, she hadn't expected the story he told her at least five times a year. Certainly, this was a shortened version, but it was the same story, none-the-less.

Kagome Higurashi lived in the Country of Rahpht, in the village of Forsic, and she knew the stories of the Night Phantoms were all too true. They were the perfect predator—impossible to resist—and the perfect killers. Her young friend, Rin, had been taken just last year. Her grandmother, Kikyo, had almost been taken, but she had been grieving over the loss of her secret love, Onigumo, and had sworn to never love another.

And she hadn't. She had not loved her husband, who was loyal solely to her. She had not loved her daughter, who grew more beautiful and kind with each passing year. She had not loved her granddaughter, who became the priestess' apprentice just to please her family. Nor had she loved the Night Phantom who had promised her all his heart, mind, body, and soul.

But enough about her grandmother, she died years ago. Today was Kagome's day, and thoughts of a woman who hadn't cared whether Kagome lived or died were not allowed to enter her mind.

Kagome was turning fifteen today, and she was getting ready to meet her husband-to-be, Akitoki Hojo. Hojo was the most eligible bachelor in Forsic, and the most handsome. His auburn hair gleamed in the summer sun, and his deep blue eyes were so innocent and full of dreams. He was a perfect man to marry, and Kagome was grateful that she had been picked to be his bride. Marrying into one the wealthiest families on Earth would ensure her family's well-being. Not that she had much family to begin with.

She had her mother, Megumi, who had taken care of all of them once her father died. She had her younger brother, Sota, who was a pain, as younger brothers should be. She had her grandfather on her father's side, not even her mother knew his name, and who was, quite frankly, crazy. And last but not least, she had her cat, Buyo. No one knew if Buyo was a boy or a girl; it was a fat cat, too fat to tell, and always had been, even as a kitten. They had decided to call it a he.

She looked in the only mirror in her house, which was in hers and her mother's room, double-checking her outfit for the thirteenth time. She was wearing standard garments for an unmarried girl her age. A short-sleeved, V-neck, forest green dress that was slightly loose and flowed to her knees. An obi that was paler in color wrapped around her waist. Off-white leggings clung to her long, slender legs. Brown moccasins reached her mid-calf, with leftover green ribbon wrapped around the fabric. "For some color," her mother had said, smiling. Her black tresses were wound up in a loose bun, and a pale-green scarf covered the lower-half of her face before trailing behind her.

Some of her nerves calmed when Buyo rubbed against her hand from his position on the bed. Rubbing something soft had always eased her nerves when they were frayed, and only Buyo knew that secret.

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Hojo's house was something of a novelty to a girl like Kagome. Having grown up in a mud-brick house, alabaster stone was a big change. Not that Hojo would notice her unease, he was too concerned with her health. She learned certain things about Hojo within the first hour of the engagement:

Number one—he was a germaphobic. He would not take her hands until they had been washed in water with cleansing minerals. Though she doubted they cleaned her hands, they simply made her joints ache.

Number two—he was overly polite. He refused to use her first name for fear of insulting her. When they married he planned to call her Mrs. Hojo. No terms of endearment were to be used.

Number three—he gave her too much, absolutely pointless and ridiculous attention. Rolling out a carpet so the floor wouldn't dirty her shoes. Waiting outside the door of the bathroom to make sure she didn't fall in…okay that one just creeped her out.

Kagome had to constantly remind herself that this was for her family, but she was glad when evening set in. Hojo's parents and her family joined them for dinner, then Kagome left to go home early to prepare. Her mother and brother were being shown their rooms once they moved into the palace. Her grandfather was staying in the house he had now, claiming to prefer a small house to himself than a mansion full of people he didn't know. Kagome couldn't agree more.

Halfway to her grandfather's house, the chaos began.

The sky turned into a sea, undulating and flowing until it reached the horizon. The horses thundered towards Forsic, swift as the wind. Men and women alike scattered, absolutely terrified. They raced to their homes, hoping the small structures would give them sanctuary from the demons and their beasts.

Kagome panicked for a moment, and then ran towards the forest. She knew better than to stay in the village. The chances of being caught and taken were highest where they felt safest. If her grandfather's earlier stories were true, then the Inu no Taisho would be among them tonight.

She suddenly stopped. He would be here because the Hojo's supposedly took something important from him. So he would go to the Hojo mansion. But that meant—

"MOM! SOTA!"

Kagome raced back towards where she had last seen her family. The panic in the streets had gotten worse. The Phantoms were running ramped, their steeds rider-less and wild. She was out of breath by the time she reached her destination. The tick in her side worsened even though she stopped to breathe.

And that's when she saw him. The most glorious warrior she had ever seen. The moon shone down on him and his silver stallion. She immediately respected, awed, and feared this shining God of War. He was fearsome and mighty, yet ethereal and devastatingly handsome. His silver hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and he wore the kimono of the people in the western countries. He donned magnificent armor and a fur cloak. She could see the handle of a demon sword strapped to his back. His dark amber eyes surveyed the village from atop the hill on which he stood. His mount's iron armor gleamed brightly in the moonlight.

She became aware that his smoldering eyes were now fixated on her. He seemed…amused. The other demons began to converge around him, as if waiting for a command.

"He's the Inu no Taisho," she breathed, "he's their leader."

They began to turn away, some with men or women thrown over the saddles in front of them.

"W-Wait!" Kagome cried.

The Night Phantoms that surrounded their general turned to glare at her, the human who dared to order them.

"W-What did you come here for?" she addressed the Inu no Taisho only, simply because she couldn't look away.

The dog general turned towards her and smiled. She became overwhelmed by the sense of paternity radiating from that smile, as if he had dealt with such a simple, childish question before.

His voice was deep and rough when he spoke, "I came here for this," and he held up a small pink jewel. "If your curiosity to know why such a trinket is important to me is that great, then you will have to come with us."

"I…I can't. I have a family to take care of here."

He shrugged, "So be it."

And the Night Phantoms disappeared in a flash of blue light.

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"Kagome!"

"Mom!" Kagome raced towards Megumi and Sota, both of them seemed to be fine. "Mom. Sota. Are you two alright?"

"Yes, dear, we're fine—" Kagome's mom began.

"Oh, man! Kagome you shoulda seen it!" Sota chimed in. "The Inu no Taisho is even awesomer than in grandpa's stories! He was covered in armor! And he had three swords! _Three_! Man, oh, man! You shoulda seen him!"

Three swords? Kagome had only seen the one strapped to his back. She turned to her mother, "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"Why, no. He came and he went," Megumi giggled softly, "like a phantom."

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Kagome began to walk towards the Center Clearing. It was a meadow within the boundaries of the village, yet few people went there. She needed time to think. How had she been able to resist the Phantoms of Night? And their _leader_ no less. Why had she not felt a ceaseless desire to return with them to the stars? It went against all of her grandfather's stories. She decided to confront him about it, sense he was the closest thing to an expert on the subject.

As she turned back towards the village for the second time that night, she heard the soft sound of hoof-beats on grass. It was followed by the clink of metal armor and a horse breathing heavily through its nose. She froze, turned around—

—and immediately wished she hadn't.

Before her stood a young stallion. A wild-eyed, coal-black Andalusian. Its armor was covered in spikes: the face-plate, the chest-plate, even the strips of iron that covered its flanks. Looking down, she saw that the horseshoes had a small horn on the front of each. There was no doubt in her mind that there were more on the bottom, but she had no intention of finding out for herself.

Keeping her eyes on the ground, she flinched when the rider swiftly dismounted. Black leather boots appeared before her, and she noticed that his red pants were fashioned after her own people—made to protect the wearer from the harsh desert when riding. She saw the end of a black cape that nearly touched the ground, and fluttered behind him.

She felt a tug at her hair before the band came loose and it tumbled down to rest in the middle of her back. Her scarf loosened, revealing her pink lips. She watched as the feet slowly circle behind her, and only then did she dare look up.

"So," a voice drawled beside her left ear, "you're Kikyo's granddaughter." The voice was rough, like the Inu no Taisho's had been, though not nearly as deep. The youth of the speaker made his voice lighter…for now.

But that just made it even more irresistible. Kagome couldn't help but shiver. The man behind her obviously found that amusing as he continued to toy with her.

"Hush, now," he purred. "No need to be afraid."

He began to run his fingertips, slowly, up and down her back. She realized with a start they were covered with claws. Her heartbeat sped up.

He chuckled at her blatant fear.

Kagome felt her mind drifting with the warm summer breeze and the man standing behind her was the cause. But she was getting sick of his toying, "Why don't you face me, you coward?"

In one swift move, her air was almost completely cut off. One strong calloused hand wrapped around her throat. His claws began to dig into her neck. His other arm wrapped around her torso, trapping her arms and stopping an inch away from crushing her ribs.

"Never forget this," his tone was no longer teasing, "I am _not_ a coward. And I suggest you learn to use some caution when speaking to a creature like me." His voice became sadistically amused, "We're not well known for controlling our temper."

The last thing Kagome remembered before she blacked out was his dark laugh and the vague feeling of being thrown onto a horse.

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**Dun dun dun duuuuun! Omigah! XD I'm freakishly hyper dudes (yes, I still say "dudes" cause I CAN! Take that: politically correct my—O.O had to catch myself XD). ****!hahaha**

**Anywho, I think this idea came to me while listening to the scores from PotC and The Young Black Stallion—I love that special beginning scene on the DVD, where it shows his dad. Shout-out, horse-freak! **

**Tell me whatcha think!**


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